February 11, 2013

Christmas 2013 Card Design

February 11, 2013

So where have I been you ask? Well, the holidays took up a lot of time completing projects like the card above. two stained glass windows, a variety of stained glass ornaments for friends and family, holiday baking, cookies, Stollen, Gingerbread, breads, traveling, preparing for an exhibit, completing new pieces and working on illustrations for an acquaintances book of Astronomy articles.

So Now I'm back and will try to keep up with blog -

Worked on this card design for approximately four weeks. Started this project with an unfinished design which I will post tomorrow. My chief critic and generally excellent fan told me that this original idea just wasn't going to work.

So, back to the old brainstorming until I came up with the idea of Santa's countdown clock. First the month's until December is reached and then the days till Christmas. As always the Elves are surrounding Santa and carrying out his directive to clean and polish the clock as he looks over his never ending list of gift receivers. Have they been good or bad?

The elves represent as always my grandchildren and the paraphernalia surrounding the clock and on the shelves all have meaning related to the family seasonal celebration.

Here is the card before the color was added.

See you next time with some more information on my Christmas cards.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Rhiannon

Been busy working on the Village Planter Garden. A wonderful angel helped by removing all the weeds, another angel donated the mulch, and I just am slowly working my way mulching and preparing to plant some hardy mums for the fall.

The surprising thing about all of this that the volunteer help from the community and the lady who yelled it's looking good as she passed have just reaffirmed my idea that people are willing to do things. All you need to do is ask for help, say yes when it's offered, and a lot of small acts make a big change.

As I walk around the Village I see so many persons making small differences daily and the result is - the Village is better for all those small changes.

So, if you are out there and you have an idea of something you can do to make the place you live a better place - Just do it, ask for help, take it, and make the change!

A big thank you to the people who believe in a better tomorrow, one small step at a time!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Monday, August 27, 2012

Pwyll

Well, it was another normal Monday. A little rain fell and then I thought I would check the garden plot between rains. Beans, peppers and lots of tomatoes. It seems they are deciding that it is getting time to be ripe.

The fall crops I planted two weeks or so ago are coming along fine. If the weather holds like it has been through September into mid October we should be gathering the benefit of this midsummer planting of root crops.

I'm going to have to do some reading on storing root crops if they suceed. Parsnips, turnips, beets, and carrots. The eight cabbage plants I purchased for 80 cents seem to be developing fine. Will keep and eye out for cabbage moth eggs.

Gather some tomatoes to share with others. It seems that sharing the bounty is the way to go. We can't eat them fast enough and still not to the point to start canning.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Thursday, August 23, 2012 - Thank you to the Angels in my community!

Well another week is quickly drawing to a close. I have been thinking about the need for persons to take responsibility for change. So many people complain about how we should do this, or how this could be better, or why we can't do this.

However, I find that when you ask these persons to help institute that change they are "to busy, don't have the skills,  I just can't do it".

I am a believer in change. That it is a slow process, that it is not easy, that it takes a lot of energy. One may not have all the skills needed to bring it to fruition, but, if you plod along little by little you can get things done.

Change is not easy nor does it happen without a bit of sacrifice. In our little Village, the center of the universe to only those live here, some changes have been happening. We have started a community garden to help people to feed themselves healthily. It involves work and time. We are making improvements to our Village Park adding play equipment and hopefully repairing existing structures. Giving people a place to go and play. Again it takes work and time, and of course a monetary commitment. A small group of dedicated citizens are working to develop a plan to improve and beautify our town center. Hoping to build a civic pride that makes people notice we are the center of the universe. Again time, energy and money are needed to accomplish this.

The thing that I find remarkable is that a small dedicated group of citizens - with no real training in instituting change, with limited funds available, and with a lot of sweat equity are bringing about a slow deliberate change in the quality of life for all those naysayers who want change but don't want to contribute to it.

And, to all those young families with children and commitments that are improving their homes and yards - Thank you for doing so!

Thanks to all those who see the future as a positive possibility.         You are Angels.

Angel

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Very relaxing  day. Started off with checking the garden and setting the hoses. Things are growing fine, now if the tomatoes would just start to ripen. Did have an earlier fight with tomato horn worms but it seems that I have found and stepped on them all!

Someone has Broccoli that needs to picked. Every time check the gardens out it tempts me.

After some photos of the new play structure site and updating the Village website. I took off for the pool.

Perfect pool day, swam laps for about an hour and them just drifted on the raft, soaking up the sun and enjoying the water. 88 degrees air 84 Degrees -perfect light airy cloud wisps.

Summer Morning Sunrise

Had John Denver on the IPod and just thought about what a wonderful life I really have.  Life's been good to me so far, but I fine it hard to drive 55.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Monday, August6, 2012

House, Trees and Shadows

A beautiful day here in the Village. Spent the better part of the day caring for the community garden.

We started this year for the first time. Eight gardeners signed up and we have some really good progress in the development of the garden.

There was an attack last week of  tomato horn worms but with the help of  a gardening grand daughter we seem to have stomped them down to nothing. I will still keep a diligent eye on everyone's tomato plants when I go down to check and water.

Some of the gardeners need to get down there to do two things. Weed and harvest. I've begun to pick tomatoes and the beans seem to keep coming. The pole beans are covered with blossoms and tiny fruit so we will be starting those soon.

Planted late fall crops of beets, turnips, and parsnips add a few potatoes and if all goes well I can taste those fall roasted goodies coming from the oven, to the table, and into my tummy. Yummy!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Ostara

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Well spent the day doing those things I enjoy. Wash and polished the car, picked vegetables from the garden, prepared for tomorrow's yard work, and just laid on a raft in the pool and did a few laps.

Now I'm working on my drawing number 3 in the Bedtime series . Hope to finish it before fall hits! 

Have the idea formulated for the next Berlin drawing. So I will work on that soon to get it started.

Did mat and mount work for the ART WALK in Grand Haven. Will begin to post those drawings on my blog here soon.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Yule

Just another day of warm temperatures and high humidity. The tomato plants seem to be loving the weather.They are growing like crazy. Plenty of fruit now just to see them ripen. My mouth is watering for a nice tomato sandwich. That is a sign to me of real summer food.

Picked an abundance of green yellow and purple beams today. More to come by the looks of it in the next few days.

Looked up the planting chart and it's still not to late to plant beets, parsnips, turnips, second crop beans, and of course radishes. So maybe I'll get the grand girls to help with some fall and winter planting. If I can find some broccoli and Brussels sprouts to transplant I'll give them a go.

Thinking about root crops brings winter to my mind and fresh roasted roots with caramelized onions.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Jakobustag - St James the elder brother of John.  Weather is cloudy but pleasant good day for mowing lawns and watering gardens. That should make tomorrow's weeding and garden cleaning easier. Weather man predicting rain. Well bring it on. Pool water still 92 degrees and almost too warm.

Work progressing on the drawing number three in the bedtime series, Now time to select the next German drawing for the Berlin series.

Mabon

 Here is abit of country wisdom about Jakobustag -

• "Jacob's hot - it is worth toil and hard work."
• "Jacob's clear and pure, Christ's festival will be chilly."

Well, back to work on the drawing.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Monday, July 23, 2012

Extremely warm today! Had a small downpour early this morning to refresh things. However, the heat has now brought back a few steps. Will try to work on my final drawing in the Bedtime Series getting it inked as far as line. All of the pencil work went really well and fairly fast. It was one of those drawings that just seemed to fall in place.

Got the inking completed to the line stage. Will begin to add depth and values next. Below you will see the firs completed drawing in the Bedtime Series called "the Sandman" - he sprinkles the stardust in your eyes so you can have a pleasant sleep and dream. The second in the series is "the Guardian Angels" - they watch over you as you sleep. And the third is " the Dreamers Dream" - apleasant night it is as we sail away to the stars with all friends around.

The Sandman

The Guardian Angels

line drawing -The Dreamers Dream

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Thursday, July 19. 2012

Finally a little relief from the summer heat and little rain. We could still use more the Village looks a bit greener from the rains in the last two days. Not enough to relieve the drought conditions but enough to bring a well sought drink.

Ritterstrasse 11, Berlin, Germany

photo of brick color

                Finished the Ritterstrasse 11 drawing, the first in series based on my trip to Germany, Berlin and Koserow in particular. This one has some creative adaption on my part to make it a possible candidate for print material. A long tall format something I don't usually do. Completed in ink and colored pencil. The remarkable thing about this specific building is the color of the bricks and stone used in it's construction. Some of the coloring is the aging of the building but do note the brick colors. I will include a photo of the building along with my drawing so you can see the detailed coloring.

Fell in love with it at first sight. Ritterstrasse translated is knight street, another reason I loved this building.

Wednsday, July 18, 2012

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Midsummer

Accomplished a bit today on the new Bedtime drawing and finished up the Ritterstrasse drawing.

Waiting for rain that still didn't materialize. Will water tomorrow just to keep basic plane investments alive and well. Not necessarily happy, but surviving.

Will post more tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Monday, July 17, 2012

Beltaine

Another scorching hot day, on my way to the pool for some cooling and than back to work on my drawings.

Checked out the veggie garden today and gathered another zuchini. It's one of those vegetables that one or two plants are all you need to realize the miracle of gardening. Radishes and peppers are also being harvested and the tomatoes seem to be very happy with the hot weather and the humidity. Anxiously waiting for the first harvest and those fresh ice cold tomato slices on home baked bread. Always a delicious summer sandwich.

Remember my grandmother slicing them sprinkling lightly with sugar and serving them to us for lunch on those hot days when you didn't want to cook. She would also splash on a little vinegar to add tang.

The pool beckons and i must answer if I'm going to start that final drawing of the Bedtime series.